I love “This or That.” I often think of these ponderings as “Would You Rather” because my little loves to ask these types of questions. So, I thought I’d write a Bookish Brain This or That post!
Buy or Borrow
Much to my family’s chagrin, I’m a book buyer more than a book borrower. I utilize my library for eBooks, but some books (okay, many books), I need to have my own hard copy. There’s something soothing about holding the pages in my hand.
Print or eBook
I enjoy both print and eBooks. My overall preference is for a hard copy book (see above), but I find I read more quickly via eBook. I’ve found myself buying copies of the same book I’ve read on my Kindle App, just so I can have both. This is especially true for beloved series like Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses, and I’m currently building up my Louise Penny Inspector Armand Garmache collection — there are 16 books in her series, so I have a ways to go!
Also, I buy hard copies of books by authors I love, like Dr. Maya Angelou, Pat Conroy, Jen Lancaster, and Jennifer Weiner. I may never read the books again, but I want to have them in my collection. Yes, I am aware that I’m a book hoarder.
Indoor Reading or Outdoor Reading
This is a toss up. Primarily, I read indoors as I do most of my reading at night. However, I love to sit on our deck and read in the early mornings on the weekend. I guess I’d say I read anywhere.
Classics or Contemporary
As an English lit major, I want to say that I’d pick the classics over contemporary books, but that’s just not true. I’ve found that I don’t enjoy classic literature as much as I used to. And, I can’t stress this enough, there are too many books to read than to force yourself to read what you “think” you should be reading. Case in point, I picked up Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca from my bookshelf recently, thinking that I should finally see why there’s so much love for this classic, especially before the Netflix movie drops. Nope. Couldn’t do it. It felt stiff and the descriptive prose felt too heavy for me. Maybe another time.
Bookmarks or Dog-Eared
Okay. I recognize that this may be my undoing in the Bookish Community, but I dog-ear my pages (sometimes). I’m getting better, but I don’t have many pretty or fun bookmarks, and sometimes I just need to close the book quickly, you know? I’m looking at crafty ways to make bookmarks myself, but for now, I either dog-ear or grab a scrap of paper.
Marginalia or Clean Pages
Writing in the margins of a print book or highlighting sections of an eBook – that’s my jam. Maybe it’s because I watched my father write notes in his books and underline important passages. Maybe it’s because I learned great note-taking skills in college. Or maybe it’s because authors have such amazing messages or poignant turns of phrases that I have to capture their work. In any case, if you see me marking up the marginalia, you know I feel the words in my soul.
P.S. The Goodreads highlights feature is genius.
Speed Reader or Slow and Steady
I devour books, but I’m not as speedy as some friends. If the book is engaging, meaningful, or full of twists, then I will find any spare moment to read–and read quickly. This is the case for most of the tomes I choose. However, other books are more plodding, whether it’s because I’m not truly enjoying it or because I want to savor the prose.
What about you?
What are your “this or that” choices for this list? Do you agree or disagree on my picks?
Bookish Brain 